The effectiveness of noncognitive variables in predicting college grades and persistence for international students over 8 semesters was studied at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Noncognitive Questionnaire (NCQ), an instrument designed to assess eight noncognitive variables found to be related to academic success for U.S. minority students, was administered to 248 freshmen international students. The noncognitive dimensions on the NCQ are: self-confidence, realistic self-appraisal, especially regarding academic abilities, community service, knowledge in a field, leadership experiences related to cultural background, preference for long-range goals, understanding racism, and having a strong support person. Different noncognitive variables were significant predictors of college grade point average (GPA) and persistence across the 8 semesters. Self-confidence and availability of a strong support person consistently predicted GPA. Persistence as found to be related to an aggregate of variables, but understanding racism and community service consistently predicted persistence. This finding suggests that GPA is related to individual variables while persistence may require an additional adjustment to environmental variables. (Author/SW)